I Can Tell That We Are Going To Be Friends
by GingerMarauderette
Summary: From friendship, to a petty schoolgirl crush, to teenage love, to the real thing, Gabrielle and Dennis have always known one thing. How much they needed each other. A story of friendship like no other, and a love that's like nothing you've ever seen.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I feel these characters get overlooked a lot, and I've always found they would make a very cute couple. In this fic, at this moment, Dennis is 14, and Gabrielle is 12. They aren't together yet, I just want to explain how they met.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Duhh.

Enjoy.

Dennis Creevey

The battle was over, yet also just begun.

My brother, my one and only brother, had died in the battle. We tried to tell him not to go in, we tried to tell him he was underage, but he didn't listen and went in anyway, saying his hero Harry Potter was in there and he wanted to do anything at all to help him. Harry Potter was my hero, too, but I stayed where I was needed. And now my best friend is dead.

My father is crying over his mashed potatoes, the tears falling silently down his thin, weary face. Mother is sobbing publicly, not allowing anyone to comfort her. She says she just needs to cry it out. It breaks my heart to see so many people around me crying, but sadly, there is nothing I can really do. Collin was always the plan maker.

Somehow, I can't find it in myself to cry. I miss him immensely, don't get me wrong, but I'm still in shock. And I kind of feel like he wouldn't want me to cry, that he would want me to move on. So that's what I decided to do. Of course, that probably means I'll be crying later, but now, I guess it's not what I need.

My family aren't the only ones grieving. The Weasley family is crying over Fred, the Death Eaters have left, but not before I saw them grieve Bellatrix and Voldemort, the teachers are silently missing Snape, and the Order of the Phoenix is remembering Tonks and Remus. It's a bad day for all of us, if I do say so myself.

"Salut?" I hear a voice beside me. I'm utterly surprised. I didn't even know someone was sitting next to me. I look up and my eyes go automatically wide.

She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Her long, thin, silver-blond hair is in one single braid, reaching down to the middle of her back. She's pale, but emits a glow all around her. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are a bright sort of blue silver I've never seen before. She's thin, but not too thin, and though she looks very young, she looks mature for her age.

"Hello?" I reply, with the same questioning tone she used. I am so nervous to talk to her. I must look like a big ugly bug compared to that kind of beauty.

"Je m'appelle Gabrielle Delacour." She extends a hand and smiles. For a minute, I forget everything around me. I take her hand in mine. He skin is _so soft_!

"I don't speak French." I say, and her little face falls. She scrunches it up for a moment, deep in thought.

"I don't speak eenglish very often, mais – _but_ - for you, je – I – will try." He English is slow and sort of choppy. "I am Gabrielle Delacour. And you?"

I laugh and say "Dennis Creevey."

"Dénis?" She says, her eyes brightening.

"No, Dennis." I laugh.

"But I can say Dénis!" She sighs. " 'Ere I be, trying to speak eenglish for you, and you laugh and tease me!" She looks on the verge of tears. I rush to fix it.

"No no, I'm not laughing at that! I'm laughing because it's cute, and I appreciate you trying." I say, smiling. Color rises in her already flushed cheeks, a shy smile on her lips. "You can call me Dénis if you want."

"Okay." She smiles. "Do you remember ze Triwizard Tournament?"

"Yes. Why?" She laughs.

"My seester was a champion. Fleur Delacour?"

"Ah! That's right! That's where I've seen you before. You were the one Harry pulled out of the lake!"

"Yes, zat was me. I was only nine at ze time. I was very scared." She sighs. "She married recently. She married Bill Weasley. I was a bridesmaid. I wore a beautiful golden gown. I was happy for her. But..."

"But what?" I ask dreamily. I try not to imagine how beautiful she would be in a dress. She can't be more than twelve! And I do not want to be a pervert.

"I just, I meess her. She was my best friend, ze one I told everyzing too. And now, she as good as gone!"

"I know how you feel." I mutter, and start to eat my forgotten food. It's a little cold, but I don't really care.

"You have older brozer or seester who got married?" She says.

"No... my brother died in the Battle a few minutes ago." I grumble. I look at her and see tears swelling in her bright eyes.

"_Oh, je suis horrible! _Oh, Dénis, I am sorry I brought it up! 'Ere I am, complaining about 'ow I do not see my seester, when you lost your brozer! I am so sorry! I am terrible!" She puts her head in her hands and promptly burst into tears.

"Oh, oh no, Gabrielle, don't cry!" I take her tiny, shaking body in my arms and hold her as she continues to cry. "Don't cry! I'm not even crying! You didn't insult me, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't know. It's okay." I rub her shoulder soothingly.

She looks up from my chest, her red eyes breaking my heart. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am certain! Stop crying." I hug her, and she sits up straight, drying her eyes daintily with a napkin.

"One zing, Dénis." She says and looks right into my eyes. "I'm sure your brozer was a good person."

"He was, believe me." I sigh and poke a little at my food. Suddenly I'm not hungry.

"_Gabrielle, on s'en va! __Dit au revoir a ton ami puis on décolle_!" Her mother, a slightly bigger version of her, waved her hand impatiently.

"I 'ave to go, but send your owl! I want to make sure you are doing okay!" She leans in and gently kisses my cheek. I feel myself instantly go red. "Stay strong," she says, making the r sound nice and long. Rrrrr. She turns around and walks away, and I just sit there, watching her walk.

"She seems nice." My father says, completely snapping me out of my thoughts.

"She is. She made me forget, for a while."

"She's very pretty, too." My mother says through her sobs.

"Yes, she is." I pick at my food. I swear I can almost hear Collin saying '_Nice choice, bro_!'


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Next chapter! Letters exchanged from Dennis and Gabrielle. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: HP does not belong to me.

_Gabrielle,_

_Just thought I'd write to say I'm doing okay. The house is oddly quiet without him, and my mother's sobs and screams fill those silences. My father doesn't cry as much anymore, but he almost seems... dead inside. Like nothing can affect him. It's sort of eerie, and I want to get away from that. Yet I know I have to stay to help everyone through it. For the first time since... forever, I've been excited to go back to school. I miss you, because you are a good friend and you honestly make me forget and feel like everything is back to normal. Is it true you go to some school in France? When are you going back? I'll miss you..._

_So, please owl me back to let me know how you are._

_Dennis _

_Dénis,_

_I'm just owling you back, saying I am doing perfectly fine. I hope you feel better, and I am certain school will come as a very welcome distraction. I understand that it will be hard. The family Fleur married into has lost a member as well, so our family grieves their loss. It affects us all, even if we knew no one in the battle, the stress is certainly hard. As for schooling, yes I attend Beauxbatons in France, but my family and I are considering leaving France to come and be closer to Fleur and my new family. I think it would be very exciting to attend Hogwarts. It seems to be a good school. But I would know no one other than you, and my English is terrible as it is, so I am still on the fence about it. _

_Much love, _

_Gabrielle_

_PS: Please excuse any errors in this letter. I had Fleur's husband check for any mistakes and he corrected it, but something may have slipped through the cracks._

_Gabrielle,_

_There were no errors at all. I am glad to hear that you may be attending Hogwarts in the fall. It would certainly make things more fun during the year. I'm sure you would make great friends at Hogwarts. I am convinced you would fit right in. It might improve your English, and I would be happy to look over your work at Hogwarts during the year. It would really brighten my day to see you at Hogwarts. Things are slowly getting better here at home. The memorial is soon and I was wondering if you would be in town for it. I really want you there._

_Dennis_

_Dénis,_

_Of course I will be here for the memorial. I will sit with you, hold your hand and try to make it easier. And I have talked to my parents about Hogwarts. They said my English must improve exceptionally for them to consider it. So I'm doing whatever I can do learn English. I'm translating every single French thing I see and hear, everything, into English. I'm reading the entire Daily Prophet every morning, listening to radio programmes, whatever. I don't talk any French anymore, and it is really starting to annoy my family. But I am looking forward to seeing you._

_All my love,_

_Gabrielle_

_Gabrielle,_

_Glad to know you'll be there with me. And glad to know you might be coming to Hogwarts. I have another announcement. After the memorial, my parents said you can come stay for a few days. They want to meet you. Do you think you can come? It could help you with your English!_

_Dennis _

_Dénis,_

_My parents said I can go! I can stay a week, is that okay?_

_With love, _

_Gabrielle_

_PS: Your owl is really tired, because we keep using him, so I sent mine. Her name is Rhéa and she is very nice. Don't worry, I'm taking care of your owl very well. He seems to like it here. _

_Gabrielle,_

_It's fine. My parents are excited to meet you. See you at the memorial in two days. _

_Dennis._

I fold the letter off and send it with Rhéa, Gabrielle's owl. Part of me was uneasy that the owl Colin and I had shared, BWL (Boy Who Lived, after Harry Potter), was in someone else's care, but I knew he was safe with Gabrielle. I admit I am nervous for the memorial, because I don't want to cry in front of Gabrielle. I have this unnerving need to impress her. I don't want to admit I have feelings for her, even though they aren't very deep and I would never consider anything with her, but I felt like I could tell her anything. She talked to me, without knowing a thing about me. I had to admit I cared about her, and I hoped that once we had both grown, perhaps something could happen.

I couldn't help but notice that she had signed every letter with something to do with love. _Much love... all my love... with love_... Did it mean anything?

I was reading too much into it. I knew it. Gabrielle was way too good for me, and way out of my league. The minute she got to Hogwarts, some Quidditch-playing guy would sweep her off her perfect little feet and she's marry him and have beautiful, athletic babies with a French accent. And I hated the faceless, nameless stranger.

I was getting away with myself. I shook my head.

The memorial is in three days, and we've already started preparing for Gabrielle's arrival. We've aired out the guest room, washed the sheets, wiped down the walls and furniture and swept, mopped and polished the floors. I would have used my magic to help, but I was underage. In a way, I'm kind of glad I didn't help, because it distracted my family and me for a bit.

"How old is Gabrielle anyway?" My mother said while dusting a vase.

"She's twelve." I answer.

"And she's French?" My dad asks from outside, where he's hanging the linens to dry.

"Yes."

"From France?"

"Dad, where else to French people come from?"

"Well..."

"Don't answer that."

"She's very very pretty." My mom says, smiling.

"She is." I reply, thinking of the long, silver braid...

"But she's young..." My mom warns, moving on to dusting our coffee table.

"I don't like her that way, Mom."

"Do you think you could? When you're both older?"

"Maybe." _Yes…_

"Establish a friendship first." Dad says, entering the house and grabbing Mom around the waist. "That's how I snagged this here beauty." Dad kisses her neck and I turn to do something else. I feel nauseated.

"Cliff, stop that!" I hear Mom say, swatting his hands playfully. "Poor Dennis doesn't seem too pleased."

"I'm not pleased." I say, going upstairs.

But as I'm walking up the stairs, I realize something.

Mom and Dad had barely spoken since the battle, but now, Gabrielle and I have almost brought them together.


End file.
